Month: December 2014

Catherine Petree and Norah Lawlor hosted an intimate Holiday Party to celebrate the release of the book, Manners That Matter Most, at Swifty’s Restaurant on Monday, December 15, 2014 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Around 80 attendees gathered in the private room of the restaurant for specialty cocktails, tasty hors d’Oeuvres, and a look at the new book by June Eding which also includes a special foreword by Norah Lawlor.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the world’s most promising cancer research, hosted – “Dinner at Daniel” – on Monday, December 8, 2014, at Restaurant Daniel in New York City. The intimate and memorable event celebrated the Holiday season and supported the organization’s work in prostate cancer research.

Over 120 of the organization’s most loyal supporters gathered at Restaurant Daniel in the elegant Main Dining Room for cocktails before enjoying a specially prepared menu by the legendary Chef Daniel Boulud. The unique menu included roasted procini with parsley coulis, pan-seared black sea bass, poularde demi-deuil, and red apple dessert with caramelized ginger apple, sable Breton and maple ice cream.

PCF Founder and Chairman Michael Milken addressed the audience and highlighted new advances made in the fight against prostate cancer by PCF. The organization’s CEO Dr. Jonathan Simmons also spoke, along with Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, trustee of the Charles Evans Foundation which partners with PCF. Following dinner, guests were treated to a special musical performance by Motown superstar, Diana Ross, who sang a medley of her classic songs, including “I Will Survive”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and “Baby Love”.

Firmly committed to curing prostate cancer, the Prostate Cancer Foundation is the leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating research globally. Since 1993, its unique strategies for identifying and investing in the most promising research programs have generated life-saving results. The organization channels resources to the world’s top scientific minds—cutting red tape and encouraging collaboration to speed breakthroughs.

Upper East Side restaurant, Swifty’s, celebrated the festive season with an intimate Holiday Art Show on Thursday, December 4, 2014. Guests joined owners Robert Caravaggi and Chef Stephen Attoe for cocktails, tasty hors d’oeuvres, and a look at paintings by talented New York artists Tim Snell, Patucci Shehan and Mark Shehan.

Patrons at Swifty’s Restaurant are always delighted to see the exquisite selection of paintings and photos displayed on the walls of the restaurant, which are rotated regularly by Caravaggi and Attoe. Chef Attoe’s wife, Patricia Attoe, draws on her extensive art background in curating the art at the restaurant. Recently Swifty’s exhibited one of photographer Harry Benson’s famous Beatles photos, and New York artist Mary Lou Schempf’s stunning work is exhibited in the front room on an ongoing basis. Her work complements the restaurant’s style and décor which was brought to life by famed decorators Mario Buatta and Anne Eisenhower.

This holiday season, a total of 29 paintings by talented New York artists will be exhibited at Swifty’s. Twelve of the paintings on display had already been sold to eager customers before the opening night. New York-based visual artist Tim Snell (www.snellstudio.com), who has contributed mural and mosaics to the 8th Street and Broadway Subway stations, is showing eleven works, including his stunning gouache on paper entitled Voltaire’s Study. Snell is also behind all of the restaurant’s in-house art and designs, including Swifty’s creative menus. Artists Patucci and Mark Shehan, who have been making art together since meeting in 1970, will also display their works at Swifty’s. In 1988 they founded Mercy Street Studios in Providence, Rhode Island where they continue to create fine art as well as fabricate murals, mosaics and decorative finishes for commercial and residential projects. Tim Snell, Patucci and Mark have often collaborated on commissions, and especially enjoy painting while on travels and vacations together with their families.

Swifty’s has been a favorite Upper East Side haunt for over 15 years, despite an ever-changing dining scene. A sophisticated yet low-key restaurant, Swifty’s attracts a devoted clientele. Chef Attoe and co-owner Robert Caravaggi, former chef and maître d’ respectively of legendary Upper East Side boîte, Mortimer’s, combine classic and straight-forward, American and European cuisine with friendly and impeccable service. The ambient dining room, reminiscent of a well-appointed English country house, was created by famed decorators Mario Buatta and Anne Eisenhower.

Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) hosted its ‘Collaborating for a Cure’ Benefit Dinner and Auction, honoring fashion designers Cushnie et Ochs, and featuring a special musical performance by six-time Grammy award winner Ziggy Marley, on Thursday, December 4, 2014 at Cipriani Wall Street. The annual event, now in its seventeenth year, raised $2.5 million to support the Waxman Foundation’s research efforts to produce a cure for cancer.

The event was attended by more than 750 corporate executives, board members, and their guests. The money raised will support the Foundation’s research efforts to produce a cure for cancer by reprogramming cancer cells and to deliver tailored, minimally toxic treatments to patients. The scientists funded by the SWCRF have made significant breakthroughs in cancer research, including identifying pathways to deliver novel therapies to treat cancer.

SWCRF Collaborating for a Cure host Michael Nierenberg gave his opening remarks, welcoming guests to the Dinner & Auction and thanking the SWCRF’s many supporters for their continued efforts to raise funds for cancer research. The evening’s Master of Ceremonies Chris Wragge then took the stage to introduce Dr. Samuel Waxman whose remarks highlighted the importance of investing in cancer research and developing less toxic therapies for cancer patients of all ages, particularly senior citizens who are unable to tolerate the intensity of chemotherapy. After dinner, Wragge welcomed honorees Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs to the stage. Carly Cushnie said she and Michelle were “thankful to support a cause close to so many hearts.” She described the privilege they had of visiting Dr. Waxman’s laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and gaining a better understanding of his work, which she described as “mind-blowing.”

The evening’s exciting live auction, led by Hugh Hildesley, Executive Vice President of Sotheby’s Auction House, offered guests the opportunity to bid on exclusive items such as two black Labrador puppies which received winning bids of $9,000 and $8,000. Guests were able to bid on an exclusive opportunity to meet Ziggy Marley and receive a guitar autographed by the reggae superstar, which sold to the highest bidder for $23,000. The highest bid of the night, $100,000, went to a luxurious five-night cruise in the Bahamas aboard an M/Y Serque private yacht. Other packages included an Official F1 Opus Champions Grand Prix Experience, which sold for $40,000; an America’s Cup Yacht Race experience captained by former America’s Cup Team Members, sold three times for $11,000 each; a Golf Outing at Hamptons Hills Country Club in Westhampton Beach for 24 People including lunch, 18-holes and a post-golf cocktail party, sold for $13,000; a painting by Peter Lik sold for $15,000; and a one-of-a-kind abstract painting by Harold Garde titled “Drimmed” sold for $20,000. Online auction items – including a 5-night stay in a 3-bedroom residence in Aspen next to The Little Nell and Aspen mountain; a 4-night stay in an ocean view room at Hilton Los Cabos & Golf Resort with airfare for 2; and a 5-night Rome Getaway at St. Regis Grand Hotel with airfare for two – will be available for bidding online at Charitybuzz.comuntil December 10, 2014. After the auction, guests were treated to an exclusive, live performance by Ziggy Marley.

Known affectionately by New Yorkers as “The Waxman,” the yearly fête is considered to be among the top fundraising events in New York City. In recent years, “The Waxman” has raised several million dollars to support the Waxman Foundation’s research efforts to produce a cure for cancer. Past celebrity supporters have included the Warren Hayes Band, Kid Rock, Chevy Chase, Steely Dan, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Sheryl Crow, John Fogerty, and Counting Crows.